THE INTERVIEW
KW: How did you first get involved with this project?
Carrie Savage: It was so long ago.. let me think! I came upon some information, in passing, about a production company that did video game dubbing whom I had not yet worked with. I sent them my voice-over resume and demo and was called for a general audition a while later. Some time after that, I was called in to do my first recording for Dynasty Warriors!
KW: Do you know why they switched Xing Cai to Wendee Lee instead of you? And vise versa? (Xiao Qiao to You).
Carrie Savage: I am not really sure of all the details, but I know it had something to do with them wanting an even higher voice for Xiao Qiao.
KW: Which of the three characters (Xing Cai, Diao Chan, Xiao Qiao) did you enjoy voicing the most?
Carrie Savage: I like them all!! Truly! I'm not trying to get an easy way out of answering this question, but there are different aspects to their personalities that I enjoy equally. If I absolutely had to choose, I might say Diao Chan because she's one of my lower voiced characters (which I don't get to do quite as often) and so in control of herself. She's in command, yet, kind of ... zen, you know? I like that. Her character is drawn so beautifully, too!
KW: Which of the three characters do you see yourself sharing similar traits with the most?
Carrie Savage: It's been a while since I did Xing Cai, but from what I remember I think I would share the most traits with her. I remember her as being somewhat soft-spoken at times, but still energetic and in command when she had to be. (It has been a while, however!)
KW: You have an outstanding background for voice work/voice overs. What made you decide to transition into video games?
Carrie Savage: I decided as soon as I learned there was voice over for games. When you are an actor, you tend to do all types of acting; it just comes with the territory. And, as a "voice" actor, you want to voice act for whatever medium you can! I also do toys and commercials, and am constantly auditioning for everything out there, including American cartoons. …And trust me, as a working actor, you want to do whatever "work" you can. You can't make a living by specializing in any one thing; that is, unless you're Tom Cruise or the like!
KW: Was there ever a time where you had trouble or difficulty voicing a role for a game?
Carrie Savage: Not really. All roles have their challenges, but they are always challenges that I enjoy and relish! I will tell you, however, that games can be hard on your voice when there is a lot of fighting. I think most actors will agree, that if you're doing a role that requires hours of screaming, especially if it is on one of the extreme ends of your vocal range.. your voice might not be up to it’s normal level the next day. So, you have to be very careful with how you make those extreme types of sounds, and possibly be conservative in what other vocal sessions you schedule for the next day. Thankfully, having your voice affected by that much screaming is a rare occurrence, but it is something to be very careful about. (Vocal training: learning how to properly use and support your voice is essential here. You never want to hurt your voice!) Also, thankfully, Dynasty Warriors has never been hard on my voice and always has been a pleasure to record!
KW: There are a scarce amount of female gamers out there. Do you consider yourself to be one of them?...
Carrie Savage: Well, I'm unfortunately not much of a gamer. I don't actually have the luxury of having a video game system at all! I have rarely even gotten the opportunity to hear the games I've done.. sooo sad! But, I do LOVE Guitar Hero and all of the music based and dancing games! I play them whenever I get the chance!
KW: If you were in a video game, what kind of special powers or traits would you have? (Besides beautifully done wavy blonde hair!)
Carrie Savage: Oh! How sweet, thank you!!! If I was a video game character, I think I'd have to be some type of angelic character that had a power that involved light and singing! She would have this beautiful angelic voice and light would be carried through her voice and would heal people.. and also quiet raging beasts. Yeah! That sounds right! He he.. I just made that up! I like it!
KW: Warriors Orochi 1 and 2 reunites many famous voice actors together, including Jessica Gee, Wendee Lee, Lex Lang, Lara Cody, Michael Forrest, Cindy Robinson, Michelle Ruff, Kim Strauss, Tara Platt, Yuri Lowenthal, and many others. How do you feel about being part of such a large project?
Carrie Savage: The truth is, voice actors don't get to see each other in sessions since we record one at a time, so I don't think many of us even know who else is in the games that we record. This info. is often held in the strictest of confidence, so unless you play the game yourself and can recognize all the voices, or have researched who else is in it at a later date, or hear about it directly, you most often do not know who is in it with you. There have been many times when I was in a show or video game and met someone 2 years later, for the first time, who played my counter-part or love interest. However, I am very glad to be part of Dynasty Warriors (Orochi), and glad to know (as you have just informed me) that I'm part of a project that so many of my voice actor friends are in as well! Cool!
KW: What is it like, recording lines for a character? What would be a normal day if you were recording lines?
Carrie Savage: The recording process is a bit different for anime and video games, and quite different for American animation and such. In a video game, you usually have a huge phone-booked size script (or 2 or 3 of these). The director usually tells you where to turn in the script, or pulls out the specific pages that your character is on. Then, you usually record each line 3 different ways, one right after the other, reading right down the page. When necessary (hopefully always) the director usually tells you what is going on around the lines, so you have an idea of what type of situation you are in and responding to. On occasion, this info. is briefly written next to the line. You do not, however, see or hear the lines of the person who speaks before or after you and most often see no type of video; so, responding can be the challenging part. The fighting sounds are often recorded the same way, but you usually give varying intensity levels for each fighting or impact sound that they want. For example, if "Ungh" or some type of impact noise were written; You would give it 3 times.. one if you were hurt a little (example: hit in the stomach), another if you were hurt a little more (example: your arm was sliced open), and a third if you were hurt in a way that could or did kill you.
KW: And finally, if you were asked to voice Diao Chan again, would you?
Carrie Savage: Actually, Yes! I have actually been asked to voice her again many times over the years, when a new version of the game comes out and I am thankful each time!
KW: And that just about wraps up the interview! Do you have anything you wish to say to your fans?
Carrie Savage: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak (or write) with you! Please keep enjoying all the video games, including Dynasty Warriors. And.. lastly.. remember: You were created for something special; something that will help you have a positive impact on the lives of others! Find out what it is and go for it with all the heart you have!
